Four valuable paintings by Impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir were stolen from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, southern France, in an early Tuesday morning heist. Two thieves managed to break into the museum but abandoned two of the artworks in the institution's garden as they fled.

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday morning, has raised concerns about art security across Europe, joining a series of recent high-profile thefts. The stolen paintings are each valued at approximately €9 million (£7.7 million; $10.4 million).

According to local Mayor Bryan Masson, CCTV footage showed the perpetrators cutting through a fence to access the museum gardens. They then proceeded to cut through the structures holding the paintings' frames. The museum's alarm was triggered at 05:48 GMT, and police arrived on the scene within five minutes, prompting the thieves' hasty retreat.

Mayor Masson described the thieves as appearing well-equipped and informed, noting they wore helmets, gloves, and combat gear, and were armed with an electric knife and hacksaw. Investigators have recovered two zip-up bags that may belong to the suspects.

The two paintings successfully recovered from the garden are "Portrait of Madame Pichon" (1895) and "Coco Lisant" (1905). The two still missing are "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano" (1910) and "Jeune fille au puits" (1886).

The Renoir Museum, which houses 12 works by the artist, was Renoir's final home before his death in 1919. The museum also preserves many of his personal effects, including his easel, wheelchair, photographs, and letters, making the theft a significant blow to the cultural heritage of Cagnes-sur-Mer.

This heist follows other recent art thefts, including the disappearance of four Renaissance paintings from a museum in Sicily, Italy, last month. The mayor warned that this incident should serve as a stark reminder of the need to enhance museum security against increasingly organized criminal elements targeting valuable art.

Mayor Masson has appealed to the French government for increased financial support for local authorities and museums to bolster their defenses against such sophisticated criminal activities. The investigation into the theft is ongoing.